We Could Have a Chance
by busa-simba-busa-simba
Summary: Brief Kristanna one-shot inspired by tumblr's Fictober prompt, "We could have a chance." Kristoff's thoughts along the journey. Constructive criticism more than welcome. Thanks for reading! -Edited to fix formatting-


We could have a chance, he grumbled to himself as the girl climbed into his sled, holding her head high even as she tripped over the runners. Maybe she really knew something about the magic that had caused all this, and maybe she could make it normal again. He would just have to endure her until then.

We could have a chance, he thought frantically in the split second between cutting the ropes and leaping from the sled. Sven and the girl both cried out in alarm. With wolves behind and a gaping gorge ahead, that chance was small, but it was there. Maybe they'd make it out alive.

We could have a chance, he tried to reassure himself as she followed him resolutely into the dark of the woods, leaving his burning possessions below. If she wasn't dead by now, and she was still wanting to go on, she might actually be able to stop this storm. He might even get his sled replaced.

We could have a chance, he mused as Anna lightly punched him in the arm, reprimanding him for his joke about the freaky talking snowman. She could banter, that was for sure, and she was brave and actually fun to be around. He wouldn't trust her judgment as far as he could throw her, but he might actually gain a friend from this. Bulda would be proud.

We could have a chance, he admitted incredulously as he gaped in awe at the castle before him. It was flawless, like a feat of royal architects, but constructed from the most pristine and infallible ice. Anna led the way up the frozen staircase, and he told himself that if she had been right about all of this, she might actually be right about the weather too.

We could have a chance, he thought confidently as he led the crew back into the woods hours later, night falling around them. He glanced around at Anna, who was examining the expanding streak of white in her braid as she walked. There was no chance of the weather changing, not with Anna's sister lashing out and turning them away—but at least Grand Pabbie could heal Anna from the icy blow. He didn't stop to wonder why he cared.

We could have a chance, he told himself over and over, in tune with the beat of his racing heart. Anna shivered against his chest as the wind whipped past them. He hoped he had been wrong, that it was true love, that Hans and Anna had something real. And yet a hollowness in his chest left him aching. He didn't know why. "Faster, Sven!" he shouted, and the faithful reindeer galloped on. If they could just make it in time…

We could have a chance, he roused himself desperately as an icy gust slapped him in the face, stinging his eyes. The wind howled and swept blinding flurries across the frozen fjord, and it was colder than he'd ever known—but he could hear her. Weak, but alive, calling his name. His name. And when he heard it, he knew there was a chance, and he could keep going. He followed her voice.

We could have a chance, he wondered as he watched the queen wave her arms and gather the last bits of ice and snow into a crystallized design. The fjord was itself again—water, green grass, the ships. Normalcy. Life might go back to normal. He looked at Anna, alive and warm beside the queen, and his heart soared and fell all at once. Did he want that?

We could have a chance, something whispered within him as Anna introduced him to Elsa. "He saved my life," she said, and he saw gratitude on the queen's face. She immediately had him brought back to the palace, where he was given a meal like he'd never had before and promised both reimbursement for his lost property and the eternal appreciation of the throne. But he found himself more interested in the princess who sat glowing beside her sister, warmth flooding her gentle features and lighting up the room. He might not ever be able to tell her how he felt, but he could still be by her side.

We could have a chance, he thought as Anna tied the blindfold around his head. He felt her tiny hand slip into his, and his breath hitched. And the way she was laughing…

They could have a chance.

When she kissed his cheek, he saw it.

And he took it.


End file.
